


Rainbow is the warmest colour

by topbaekhyunsfest, winter__child (Park_Noodle)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: F/M, First Time, M/M, Pining, Sexual Content, Underage Drinking, girl!Suho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 09:26:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12385422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topbaekhyunsfest/pseuds/topbaekhyunsfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Park_Noodle/pseuds/winter__child
Summary: No man is 100% straight around Byun Baekhyun.Or,The one where BFF Baekhyun and Chanyeol go on a graduation trip together, things get complicated, and they fall in love. Not necessarily in that order.





	Rainbow is the warmest colour

**Author's Note:**

> #Prompt #20  
> Dear prompter, I'm sorry this is so short. I almost dropped out, but this fest is a blessing and I didn't want to let the mods down. This is probably messy and rushed, but I hope you still enjoy reading it.  
> Last but not least, thank you to the mods who were extremely patient with me. You're absolutely wonderful and I'm sorry I was so unreliable. Keep up the excellent work!  
> Title inspired by a movie, which is the only thing it has in common with my fic. Well, no, maybe some gayness.

 

The flight from Seoul to Jeju Island is not much more than a long take off immediately followed by a long landing. Baekhyun loves to sleep on planes, especially when he has got his best friend's bony shoulder as a dubiously comfortable pillow. Today there is a plane, and Chanyeol is sitting next to him all right. But Baekhyun cannot sleep, partly because the flight is short and rocky and partly because Chanyeol is presently in full excited overgrown puppy mode and there is no way that shoulder is going to be steady for an hour and ten minutes.

 

“I can’t wait to go for a dip, I’ve been longing for it all year!” Chanyeol says in a booming voice, too loud for comfort. Baekhyun can see the passenger on the other side of the aisle turn to glare at them.

 

“We didn’t know we were going until a week ago,” Baekhyun replies, settling against the window to his left, wriggling in his seat and realising that he will not find a comfortable position.

 

“Ah, but I’m too excited,” Chanyeol says, grinning maniacally and bouncing in his seat like a five-year-old en route to Lotte World. “Aren’t you, Baekhyunnie?”

 

Baekhyun is, that is not the problem. He enjoys spending quality time with his best friend outside of school, and he has just graduated high school, he can definitely use the week of rest in Jeju Island. The problem -- if it is one -- is that Baekhyun has been nurturing a steadily-growing infatuation with Chanyeol for years now, and he is not entirely sure he will be able to handle a full week of seeing him in swimming shorts without attempting to climb him like a jungle gym or, at the very least, molest him.

 

The real issue, and that one cannot be overlooked, is that Chanyeol is _straight_.

 

At least, Baekhyun is ninety-nine per-cent sure he is -- he has spent the entirety of high school looking for the slightest bit of gayness in him without succeeding; and he was well on his way to moving on from sitting on the bad side of unrequited love, when Sehun told them a week ago that his girlfriend Junmi had invited them to spend a whole week at her father’s luxury resort on the south coast of Jeju Island. Chanyeol’s face at that time -- a strange mix of astonishment and delight -- had been too adorable to resist for more than half a second before Baekhyun gave in. Their graduation road trip can wait, after all, especially since Chanyeol's driver's license is but two months old and he has the nasty tendency to take any outing for a race with unsuspecting road users.

 

Baekhyun hums and turns away from Chanyeol, settling for watching the landscape unfurl beneath them through the window.

  
 

Sehun and Junmi are waiting for them at the airport -- Junmi waves at them enthusiastically, her million-watt smile reflecting Chanyeol’s own. Sehun is sporting his signature poker face, although Baekhyun spots a slight uptick at the corner of his lips (meaning -- he is overjoyed to see them).

 

As soon as they leave the air-conditioned premises of the airport, Baekhyun is assaulted by a wave of hot, humid air. He regrets wearing his jeans immediately, and contemplates the fact that Chanyeol is not the only one dreaming of a pool, after all.

 

The ride to the hotel is bumpy at best, the only real road crossing the island from north to south being old and unkempt. The car is luxurious, but Baekhyun is nonetheless squashed against Chanyeol’s side on the back seat. He finds himself not minding the twenty minutes’ drive too much.

  
 

The resort is _no joke_. Sehun was not kidding when he sent Baekhyun and Chanyeol snapchats with corny captions like ‘this is Heaven’ or a series of very out-of-character tropical emoji. Junmi gives them the grand tour, but Baekhyun is so busy gaping at every single detail that he barely listens to her. He picks up things like ‘spa’, ‘seafront promenade’, ‘snorkelling’, and many other activities that he would only have dreamt of eight days ago. They are visiting the main building where their rooms are located, and from the enormous lobby windows, Baekhyun can see several rows of tent-like bungalows (fully equipped with terrace, hot tub and barbecue), two tennis courts, a quaint, palm tree-lined path leading to the beach and a humongous, dreamlike infinity edge pool with decorative waterfalls on one side.

 

“Hmm, Baekhyun-hyung,” Sehun says, unflappable. “You’re drooling.”

 

“Uh?” Baekhyun says eloquently, shaking his head and checking his chin for saliva. There is nothing, of course. He glares at Sehun, who snorts haughtily. Baekhyun then turns to Chanyeol who probably looks just as stupid as he does, gawking at the incredible view.

 

“And it’s just the beginning!” Junmi chimes in cheerfully.

 

“I wish I had a girlfriend like yours,” Chanyeol stage-whispers (still too loudly) to Sehun. Junmi giggles prettily and Baekhyun pretends it does not sting. He is not going to let pointless jealousy ruin his holiday.

  
 

“This is amazing!” Chanyeol shouts when they reach their room. He drops his backpack on the floor haphazardly, kicks his flip-flops away and runs straight to the closest of the two queen-sized beds to bounce on it like a kid on a sugar rush.

 

Sehun rolls his eyes and Junmi laughs brightly. “Sehun did the exact same thing,” she says.

 

“Noona!” Sehun whines. “No need to tell them…”

 

Baekhyun cannot refrain from snorting at the mental image. Admittedly, if he had had as little restraint as Chanyeol, he would be jumping on his own bed right now as well.

 

The room is large and airy, with white walls and minimalistic, modern decoration. There are two huge, fluffy-looking beds against one wall, facing a gigantic curved flat screen hanging high on the other. Farther into the room, two French doors open on a terrace with a coffee table, two armchairs and a soft grey sofa overlooking a gorgeous view of the pool and the sea below. Baekhyun pinches his own arm discreetly to give himself a reality check -- which never happens. He is living an actual dream.

 

“The bellboy has already brought your luggage in,” Junmi says, pointing at their floppy duffle bags, neatly tucked next to a door that probably leads to the bathroom and looking starkly out of place in such a luxurious environment. “Why don’t you freshen up and meet us at the pool in, say, thirty minutes? We’ll save deckchairs for you.”

 

Baekhyun nods, “Sounds good,” he turns to Junmi and takes her hands in his. “Thank you so much, noona, this is wonderful.”

 

She smiles warmly and presses his hands, “Don’t mention it! I’m happy to have you both here.”

 

“Thanks, Junmi-noona, you rock!” Chanyeol exclaims from his bed, when he has finally stopped acting like an overeager toddler.

  
 

They settle quickly, taking turns in the bathroom to change into swimming trunks and a t-shirt (Baekhyun trying not to marvel at the size of the jacuzzi) and putting their clothes in the walk-in closet where the entirety of their stuff takes up no more space than a single shelf.

 

“Do you think rich people really fill out the whole room?”

 

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun replies, “but I don’t think I’m ever getting used to it.”

 

“Race you to the pool!” Chanyeol yells, out of the blue, before darting out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

 

“Key-card!” Baekhyun shouts after him uselessly, then takes his own and Chanyeol’s from the top of the desk and leaves the room in his turn.

  
 

When Baekhyun makes it downstairs, Chanyeol is waiting for him in the lobby, bouncing on the balls of his feet with tangible impatience. It is still early and the pool side is not crowded yet when they join Junmi and Sehun. They are lounging on deckchairs under a large sunshade in a semi-secluded area. Sehun is already sporting a healthy tan for having stayed here a few more days than them, but Junmi’s skin, on the other hand, is as translucent as ever. She is wearing a _very small_ black bikini and even though Baekhyun is not interested in women that way, he admits that she has got a beautiful body. Chanyeol must be ogling her, Baekhyun assumes; and, from behind the screen of his dark glasses, he glances at him to check.

 

“Baekhyun-ah!” Chanyeol says, grinning and shoving him to the side non-so-gently. “Hurry up!” He takes his shirt off in a swift move and tosses it on the deckchair in a messy heap along with his (ridiculous) _à la One Piece_ straw hat and his 50+ sunscreen.

 

Baekhyun may have seen Chanyeol shirtless -- even naked, on occasion -- a substantial amount of times, he is always a little breathless at the sight of his body. Defined muscles and effortless leanness were not always Chanyeol’s attributes, but when puberty hit him, it did it in all the right ways. Even if his limbs are just on this side of gangly and have yet to be completely grown in, most of Chanyeol’s structure is pretty harmonious and easy on the eye. And that is a blatant understatement, if you ask Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun hopes he has not been in a daze for too long when he suddenly remembers to take off his own shirt and shades before following his friend.

 

Chanyeol side-eyes him as he does so and beams at him, winking, “Hey, nice hapkido bod!” he says, slapping Baekhyun’s shoulder and pretending to hurt his hand. “Ow!” he adds, laughing at his own questionably funny joke. Then, he runs to the pool side, jumps and, gathering his knees against his chest, plunges into the turquoise water, effectively splashing Baekhyun in the process.

 

For a while, Baekhyun wonders why he is so in love with Chanyeol, but when the latter emerges from the water, shakes his head like a dog and grins up at him (“Come on, jump in!”) -- he remembers.

 

\--

 

Baekhyun thinks he has never had that much fun in his whole life. He swims with the most colourful fishes he has ever had the chance to see, visits caves that glow blue in the dark and leave funny-looking shapes on his retina when he closes his eyes. He hikes up the side of Seongsan Ilchulbong crater to see the sunrise amongst a horde of Chinese tourists -- and nearly gets his eye stabbed by a parasol rib during the descent --, he goes to Loveland, a park dedicated to sex where Chanyeol insists on taking pictures of them with each giant penis they happen upon (which is a bunch), and he ends up being coerced into participating in a half-day-long trek up Hallasan. That last one might have been a little less fun because of the intense effort under relentless sun, but the view from the top is so breathtaking that it is worth a few cramps in his calves and a sunburnt hairline in the end.

 

All in all, it is safe to say that Baekhyun is having the time of his life in Jeju Island. Which is due, for a great part, to the fact that Chanyeol is by his side, sharing every moment and turning it into yet another wonderful memory.

 

One evening after a long day, as he curls up into Chanyeol’s side when they are watching meaningless variety crap on TV and Chanyeol is falling asleep, if the sporadic snores he emits are anything to go by, Baekhyun sighs and finds himself wishing things were different between them anyway.

 

\--

 

Before he knows it, their vacation comes to an end. There is just one more day and one more night to go before they have to fly back to Seoul and their boring, mundane lives. Baekhyun does not want to dwell on it too much, but for some reason, he cannot enjoy the pool like Chanyeol and Sehun, and settles for watching them, lying idly on a deckchair.

 

“Nice tan,” Junmi says as she sits down on the chair next to Baekhyun’s. She hands him a bright green cocktail and Baekhyun nods at her distractedly.

 

“Thanks,” he says. “But it’s still morning.”

 

“It’s alcohol-free. A mix of good fruit and a lot of vitamin C,” she adds cheerfully. Baekhyun would love to share the same enthusiasm as her, but he cannot bring himself to it. He knows he is being ungrateful for not making the best of the little time he has left in the resort, but things seem incomplete to him, like there is some unfinished business he absolutely needs to take care of before he leaves. The thing is, he does not know what and it is driving him _slightly_ mad.

 

“Thanks again for inviting us here. It’s been amazing, really.”

 

“Thank _you_ for coming! You guys are so much fun, it wouldn’t be the same without you. Quieter, probably, but not as great. The both of you are the best to be around.”

 

“Are we?” Baekhyun asks, unconvinced, but still smiling a little.

 

“Actually, it’s the first time in a week that you look less happy, somehow,” Junmi says, sounding less casual than she probably intends to.

 

Distractedly, Baekhyun stirs his drink with a little umbrella, looking away at the pool. “It’s just, I don’t want to leave here.” He takes a careful sip -- it’s surprisingly good, for a drink _that_ green.

 

“You’re crazy in love with him, aren’t you?” Junmi asks calmly.

 

Baekhyun chokes on his drink, but manages not to get any of it out of his nose. He tries to pass it off as coughing in as dignified a way as possible. After a brief inner debate with himself, he decides not to deny any of it. “Have been for the longest time,” he says, trying not to sound as defeated as he feels.

 

“Why the long face?” Junmi sounds genuinely worried now.

 

“He’s never going to look at me that way and no matter how hard I’ve tried, I’ve never managed to move on.”

 

“Have you ever attempted something with him?”

 

Baekhyun turns to Junmi, horrified. “What? No!” he says, frowning. “He likes girls.”

 

“Yeah? Well he can like boys too, can’t he?” Junmi’s no-nonsense answers are seriously getting on Baekhyun’s nerves.

 

“He’s only dated girls.”

 

“What makes you so sure he’s straight?”

 

“I know he is. It’s obvious.” Even Baekhyun sounds unconvinced to himself now. His world is turning upside down, he is _not_ prepared for any of this, he has no argument to hurl back at Junmi.

 

“Well, look at you -- you’re gay and you have no sense of style.” Junmi says haughtily.

 

“That’s terribly cliché,” Baekhyun retorts, looking down at himself and the god-awful double-x large hawaiian shirt he’s wearing over his swimming shorts. “And Chanyeol bought me this. I bear no responsibility in this wardrobe disaster.”

 

“And yet, you’re wearing it,” Junmi is borderline cackling at this. “So smitten.”

 

“He bought the same one for himself and it looks ridiculous on him because it’s way too loose, so I took pity and wore it to make him feel better about it.”

 

“That is _so much_ worse. Come on, Baekhyun-ah, he bought you guys _couple shirts_ and you’re still thinking he’s not into you?”

 

“Okay, I give up,” Baekhyun sighs ostensibly loudly as he puts his glass down on the side table with too much strength. He stands up and takes off the offensive shirt before striding to the pool without looking back at Junmi.

 

\--

 

Baekhyun does not think of Junmi’s words until much later that night. He decided to store them in some remote part of his brain and conceal them by taking part in as many activities as he can. He plays around with Chanyeol and Sehun in the pool for a while before heading with them and Junmi to the beach where they have a quick picnic. Then, Junmi brings them to a pier where a tanned man in distractingly tight speedos is waiting for them. They put on life vests and jump on a giant, inflatable banana towed by a motorboat. At first, Baekhyun thought that they would simply enjoy a peaceful tour of the bay on their peculiar craft, but he realises he had been mistaken when the boat speeds up suddenly and takes a sharp turn. All four of them are immediately propelled off of the banana and into the sea. They climb back on it and try to stay out of the water as long as possible by clinging to it on the funniest ever kind of nautical rodeo.

 

Baekhyun has so much fun that he does not notice the dimming daylight. It is only when the sun is but a pale orange orb sitting on the horizon that he realises that it is his last chance to watch it set on Jeju Island, and he intends on making the best of what time he has left.

 

Hair a mess and skin roughened by sand and salt, they head back to the beach to rinse off. They walk lazily along the vague line where wet sand becomes dry until they reach a more crowded area. They stop at a straw hut where they order a large amount of deep fried seafood and chilled cans of beer. They settle on the beach and eat, chatting jovially and getting louder as more beer is consumed.

 

At some point, Chanyeol gets up and disappears for a short while, before coming back with a guitar. Baekhyun is not going to ask where he unearthed it from, but inside, he is dying to know. Chanyeol sings some cheesy Radiohead and Coldplay songs -- sometimes accompanied by Baekhyun when he remembers the words -- until his voice his hoarse. After that, they finish their stock of canned beer and wobble back over to the resort, all pleasantly tipsy.

 

Junmi takes them to a hot tub in a secluded, bamboo garden-like area, telling Sehun to grab bottles of soju on the way.

 

Needless to say, it is a perfect night.

 

That is, until Baekhyun ruins it.

  
 

Sehun and Junmi excuse themselves after a while. Baekhyun suspects them of wanting some privacy, if the way they were getting handsy ( _and not discreet!_ ) under water is any indication.

 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol enjoy a familiar, companionable silence for a while, drinking their soju straight from the bottle in small, lazy sips. The alcohol does not even burn Baekhyun’s throat any more, a sign that he has had too much. This is confirmed immediately when he tries to put the bottle down onto the edge of the tub and makes it fall in the water instead. Chanyeol cracks up at that, slapping around and spreading everything in drunk glee. Baekhyun laughs too, heart light for the first time since the beginning of their vacation.

 

“Ugh, I’m smashed,” he says, side-eyeing Chanyeol who is slowly going down from his fit of laughter.

 

“Lightweight,” he retorts. He has always held his liquor better than Baekhyun, the lucky bastard. Chanyeol settles deeper in the water, until only his head is outside. “I never want to leave here…”

 

“Me either,” Baekhyun agrees, resting his head on the edge of the tub. “May summer never end.”

 

“I’m scared of going to college,” Chanyeol says slowly. “It’s all so new and terrifying.”

 

Baekhyun simply hums, at a loss for an appropriate response. The seriousness of the topic sobers him up a bit, though, so he straightens his back at the prickly feeling it sent down his spine. Baekhyun is afraid of going to college too, but he is not sure he wants to discuss that right now. He does not want this conversation to end up in an unintended confession of undying love for his best friend.

 

“We’re going to different unis and I don’t know how I’ll handle not being with you,” Chanyeol says, not meeting Baekhyun’s eyes.

 

“We’ll see each other all the time,” Baekhyun argues, trying to sound as unaffected by his friend’s words as he can. “We’ll both be in Seoul, we can meet whenever we want.”

 

“Yeah, but it’ll never be the same…”

 

“Eh, I didn’t know you got sad after a few drinks,” Baekhyun says, aiming for playful and missing by a mile.

 

“I just don’t know how to function without you...around.”

 

Baekhyun turns to face Chanyeol, who is looking at him. Baekhyun is taken aback by the force of the emotions he sees in his best friend’s eyes. There is a mix of different things, and some are so new and unexpected that they are almost scary. Baekhyun recognises hints of nostalgia, fondness, a touch of sadness too. But it is there, hidden under all those confusing feelings -- Baekhyun is surprised to see _longing_ in Chanyeol’s expressive eyes.

 

Baekhyun thinks about Junmi’s words earlier at the poolside and opens his mouth to say something, anything to defuse the situation but he cannot. It is like he has lost his ability to speak all of a sudden. Instead, by reflex (or is it a Freudian slip?), he licks his lips. Chanyeol’s gaze drops to them instantly, and Baekhyun _knows_.

 

He shifts in his seat, scoots over to Chanyeol and climbs into his lap to face him up close. Chanyeol straightens up immediately and freezes, looking star-struck. He closes his eyes, then, and it is all the cue Baekhyun needs to lean in and kiss his best friend.

 

Chanyeol’s lips are wet and wrinkly due to the humidity, but they are also soft and surprisingly pliant under Baekhyun’s. A small push of his tongue has them open in a flash, as he gasps into Baekhyun’s mouth. The small, weak sound sends a spike of arousal down to Baekhyun’s crotch, and he realises just how bad he has wanted that to happen. Baekhyun’s lips become more insistent when Chanyeol responds in earnest, linking his hands together against the small of Baekhyun’s back. It is hot and intimate, and the gesture forces them even closer than they were.

 

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol whimpers against Baekhyun’s lips.

 

“Yeah?” Baekhyun props himself up on Chanyeol’s shoulders so that he is towering over Chanyeol and claims his lips once more. Chanyeol responds avidly, making Baekhyun groan with pleasure and tuck himself more snugly against Chanyeol’s crotch. The movement elicits a surprised moan from the both of them, and Baekhyun notices Chanyeol is just as affected as he is by their position. He bucks his hips forwards experimentally, making them gasp with want. He does it again, and again, until Chanyeol mimics the motion, canting his hips up.

 

“This is so… hot… I’ve never...ah--” Chanyeol whispers wetly against Baekhyun’s cheek.

 

Baekhyun hums weakly, high on pleasure and dizzy with want. His lips relocate under Chanyeol’s ear and he opens his mouth, leaving wet kisses on equally moist skin. In a surge of bravado, he even sucks a bit of smooth skin and nips at it, which has Chanyeol’s hips moving upwards with more force. His blunt fingers grip Baekhyun’s buttocks, and it brings him to the edge.

 

Baekhyun is mere seconds shy of coming when reality strikes him like lightning. He freezes in his spot and pulls away from Chanyeol. His friend’s eyes are shocked, and his hands hover awkwardly next to Baekhyun’s sides.

 

“What?” Chanyeol utters, confusion clear in the deep crease between his eyebrows. “Why did you stop?”

 

“We can’t!” Baekhyun says as he disentangles himself from Chanyeol’s limbs. “We’re drunk, we don’t know what we’re doing…”

 

“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol says, a bit too loud. “I know _exactly_ what I’m doing!” he adds petulantly.

 

“I--I can’t,” Baekhyun says, looking away and standing up in the tub, feeling naked and exposed in his shorts. He reaches for his towel and wraps himself in it as he climbs over the edge of the tub. “I’m going back in.”

 

“Baekhyun! Wait!” Chanyeol yells at him, but Baekhyun is already striding back towards the hotel. He does not look back, for fear of caving in and ruining his determination to not take advantage of his drunk best friend.

  
 

Later, as he is lying in his bed, facing the window, Baekhyun hears Chanyeol come back into their shared bedroom. “You awake?” Chanyeol asks softly. Baekhyun says nothing, and closes his eyes as hard as he can, until sleep wins him over.

 

\--

 

They do not talk about the ‘hot tub incident’ in the morning, but Baekhyun knows Chanyeol remembers everything, if the tense line of his shoulders as he packs his bag and his unusual silence are anything to go by. It sits well with Baekhyun, because he is as unwilling as Chanyeol to bring up the events of the previous night.

 

Luckily, Junmi and Sehun are flying back along with them, so it lifts off a bit of the uncomfortable feeling that had settled over the both of them like a lead weight. The journey to Seoul is awkward to say the least, but Junmi is a pro at making small talk and socialising in any situation, so she saves the day bravely. Sehun, on the other hand, is useless, since mute is his default setting.

 

When time comes to say goodbye to Chanyeol at the metro station, they hug it out tersely with a silent, mutual agreement that their unavoidable conversation is pending, but they do not want to speak about it now. It leaves Baekhyun haggard and disorientated the whole way back, and he barely makes it home without missing his station.

  
 

Baekhyun is miserable, and there is no way he is going to college in four weeks without having settled the situation with Chanyeol.

 

\--

 

Three days of silent treatment from Chanyeol is just so much that Baekhyun can take.

 

He has a whole lot of reading to do before his first year of college, but is unable to focus on a page for more than a half minute, and has to read the same paragraph several times to fully grasp its contents. He gives up on reading on the first day after coming back from Jeju, and settles for binge-watching old drama reruns that he does not need to concentrate on.

 

Two days in, Baekhyun’s parents are annoyed to see him mope and hog the sofa, so they kick him out for the day and tell him to maintain his tan or something along those lines. Baekhyun decides to go to the library and finally manages to get some reading done. But he gets bored after a few hours and goes shopping in Myeongdong instead, only to realise that he is merely a broke student and cannot even afford the pair of trainers he has been eyeing for a few months. He goes back home wary and the slightest bit cranky, and he is sure it shows on his face because his mum does not even ask him how his day went.

 

He goes to bed without eating, feeling like crap, but knowing exactly why. He has to be the better man, he needs to text Chanyeol. His thumb hovers over the days-old conversation for a long while.

 

**wanna come over tomorrow? parents are out of town**

 

He presses send and gives in to sleep.

 

\--

 

He wakes up to a simple ‘ **k** ’ from Chanyeol, and it is enough to make him smile for the rest of the morning.

 

Chanyeol knocks on Baekhyun’s door a little after two in the afternoon. He looks tired, his eyes are bloodshot, but apart from that, he is just as handsome as usual. His hair is nicely done, and for once he is not wearing his old, ratty black track suit with flip-flops that he loves on off days, but a loose t-shirt, denim shorts and white tennis shoes. Baekhyun pats himself mentally for having opted for a rather nice outfit too (jeans and a fitted black tee) as he lets Chanyeol in.

 

It is stilted between them, a thick atmosphere of discomfort lingering in the air as they walk through Baekhyun’s parents’ apartment to Baekhyun’s bedroom.  It is so unpleasant that Baekhyun’s skin prickles with repressed irritation.

 

Chanyeol stands awkwardly next to Baekhyun’s messy desk, clearly not knowing whether it is better to sit on the chair or on the bed. He looks uptight and nervous and glances everywhere but at Baekhyun.

 

“Let’s cut the crap, shall we?” Baekhyun says as soon as he closes the door behind him.

 

It seems to rekindle some life in Chanyeol’s eyes as he finally gazes at Baekhyun, looking both surprised and relieved. Baekhyun takes a deep breath and walks over the small distance separating him from Chanyeol to stand facing him and looking him dead in the eye. “I’m not going to ignore what happened between us in Jeju any longer.” He can feel heat creeping up his cheeks but he is not going to let his self-consciousness ruin the moment. Chanyeol opens his mouth but says nothing, settling for nodding in a small, agitated fashion. Baekhyun would find the puppy look cute if his nerves were not so high-strung at the moment. “The thing is--” Baekhyun starts, then cuts himself off, shutting his eyes and clenching his fists hard by his sides. He opens his eyes again -- he is as ready now as he will ever be, “I like you, Park Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol lets out a small gasp followed by an incredulous little chuckle. “I--I like you, too.”

 

Baekhyun sighs and puts a heavy hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, “No, you don’t get it…I _like_ like you.”

 

“Me too,” Chanyeol insists. “I thought it was obvious?” It somehow sounds like a question. It seems like Baekhyun is not the only one confused here.

 

He frowns, “But...I thought you liked girls?”

 

“I like girls _and_ you,” Chanyeol says, letting a relieved half-smile lighten up his face. “Mostly you, actually.”

 

“You’re _bi_ and you didn’t think it would be nice to tell me? Your _best friend_?” Baekhyun is borderline offended. “I came out to you years ago, dammit!”

 

“Uh, I don’t really think this ‘bi’ label fits me,” Chanyeol explains. “I’ve never been attracted to any other guy than you. So...I guess it makes me, what? Baekhyun-sexual?”

 

Baekhyun snorts out loud, “This is ridiculous!” he utters before giving way to full-on laughter. He is shaken by nervous spasms of mirth until his stomach hurts and his eyes tear up. Chanyeol is still standing close to him, a hopeful smile stretching his lips.

 

When he’s finally back to normal, Baekhyun shakes his head at Chanyeol, whose deep gaze is wearing a big question mark. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

 

Chanyeol grins, “Why didn’t _you_ tell me?”

 

Baekhyun smirks, then, grabbing Chanyeol’s nape non-so-gently and pulling him down until their foreheads are touching. “Oh, shut the hell up.” Baekhyun does not let him say the obvious ‘make me’ he sees dancing in Chanyeol’s eyes but kisses him anyway.

 

\--

 

They make out heavily on Baekhyun’s bed for the better part of an hour and somehow end up in their underwear, limbs tangled together. There is a fire burning in the darkness of Chanyeol’s pupils, and Baekhyun is pretty sure his own reflect the same desire. His crotch is aching from not having been touched for so long but he wants to leave Chanyeol some time. He knows he has never done anything of the sexual nature with a man before, and not much with a woman either. There is a whole list of firsts Chanyeol is willing to give to Baekhyun and he intends on taking his time checking them all.

 

They’re lying on the duvet, Baekhyun between Chanyeol’s legs, groin against groin, and when Chanyeol looks up again after a particularly heated kiss, Baekhyun knows it means he wants to take it to the next level.

 

“It’s strange, you’re heavier than I imagined,” Chanyeol says.

 

“Uh...thanks?”

 

“It’s--It’s just that it’s different from how I pictured my first time to happen.”

 

“Well obviously,” Baekhyun deadpans, “I’m _definitely_ not a girl.”

 

“And you’re _ripped_ ,” Chanyeol smiles, tracing the bumps of Baekhyun’s abs with the tip of his finger. “That is _so_ freaking hot.”

 

Baekhyun shudders all over, and his arousal spikes up another notch. “Please tell me that you’ve...cleaned up?” Baekhyun whispers, scrunching up his face and hiding in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck, embarrassed. Chanyeol’s deep chuckle resonates through Baekhyun’s ribcage where their torsos touch.

 

“Of course!” Baekhyun can hear the smile in Chanyeol’s voice. “I’m not _that_ ignorant. And I was kinda hoping...something would happen.”

 

Baekhyun sighs with relief, “Thank God. I kinda need to be inside you. Like, really, really bad.” He straightens up suddenly, then, and peers into Chanyeol’s eyes. “If you’re okay with that, obviously!”

 

Chanyeol nods slowly but emphatically, “Absolutely.”

 

Baekhyun laughs nervously and plants a small kiss on Chanyeol’s lips. He wants to kiss and lick his whole body, but he guesses this will be for another time. For now, there is a special spot he wants to taste.

 

Chanyeol is unsurprisingly pliant under Baekhyun’s ministrations. The sounds that come from his mouth are both new and music to Baekhyun’s ears, and he never wants them to stop. But he has to pause, if he wants for this to last more than ten minutes. He crawls up again, kissing the long expanse of chest on his way and ending up on Chanyeol’s lips again.

 

“You know…I’ll have to put my...junk in your--”

 

Chanyeol places a finger on Baekhyun’s mouth to shut him up and smiles at him, “I am aware.”

 

Baekhyun snorts lightly at his own need to explain everything, but nods. Admittedly, even if Baekhyun is a bit more experienced than Chanyeol, he has only done that with two different guys, and this is definitely different because it is _Chanyeol_ and he does not want to mess this up.

 

“You’re not too disappointed that it’s just my old bedroom with my childhood baseball sheets and Girls’ Generation posters watching over us?”

 

Chanyeol laughs at that, and Baekhyun takes that opportunity to sneak his hand down Chanyeol’s body and start approaching his sensitive area as discreetly as possible. “Even if I imagined it to be different,” Chanyeol says before gasping slightly at the slick contact of Baekhyun’s finger, “I realise now that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Baseball sheets be damned.”

 

“You’re doing great,” Baekhyun whispers, kissing Chanyeol’s earlobe as the latter whimpers under him.

 

And he really is, adjusting to Baekhyun on top of him, welcoming him wholly and fully, getting rid of every last remaining barrier between them. Their pace is smooth and natural, the sounds of their mingled voices a muffled harmony against each other’s skin. Just like their friendship, it is easy -- it is the way it goes.

 

But it is too much, too soon -- for the both of them. Chanyeol’s breathing turns ragged, and Baekhyun cannot take much more friction before he is bound to explode from sensation overload. When he sees Chanyeol’s hand going down, he bats it away gently, deciding to bring him to completion himself. The sight alone makes him lose it, and soon enough, they are a panting mess, sticky but content and warm.

 

Baekhyun smiles lazily against Chanyeol’s chest and Chanyeol squeezes Baekhyun’s side, huffing the remnants of his exertion away into Baekhyun’s hair. It is nice, it is comfortable even if it should not, and Baekhyun has never been happier in his life.

 

\--

 

A few days later, Baekhyun barges into Chanyeol’s bedroom uninvited. Chanyeol is sitting on his bed with his laptop on his lap, and his whole face lights up when he sees Baekhyun. Also, he is only wearing boxer shorts, but that is irrelevant to the situation because Chanyeol’s parents are in the apartment so they cannot do anything while they are there.

 

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asks as he plops down next to his boyfriend and kisses his shoulder, looking over at the screen.

 

“I’m still looking for a place near Hongik. Everything is tiny, or when it’s a bit bigger, it’s a total rip-off,” he sighs, slamming his laptop shut and rolling on his side to lie down next to Baekhyun’s knees.

 

Baekhyun thinks about it for a moment, caressing Chanyeol’s forearm idly all the while. “You’re going to Hongdae and I’m going to Sungkyunkwan. Perhaps we could find a place to stay halfway between? Plus, the rent will be cheaper in that area than in central Seoul _and_ if we share it.”

 

Chanyeol smirks up at Baekhyun. His hair is falling in his eyes and it is infuriatingly adorable. “Already asking me to move in together?” Baekhyun smacks him lightly.

 

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to. We could have sex whenever we want instead of waiting for our parents to leave.”

 

“When you put it like that…” Chanyeol grins, and then frowns, obviously thinking of something. “But,” he adds hesitantly, “you sure you’re not going to regret missing out on dorm life?”

 

“Nah, I’m good,” Baekhyun says, ducking his head to kiss Chanyeol. “Because there would be no one in that dorm that I’m in love with.”

 

“I think I could handle being your roommate, then,” Chanyeol whispers into Baekhyun’s mouth, curling his arm behind his head to pull him in. Baekhyun resists and forces Chanyeol to look up at him.

 

“Are you seriously going to ignore the fact that I’ve just told you that I love you?”

 

“No, but it is turning me on so much that I need to detract from it.” Baekhyun snorts at that. “Besides, I love you, too.”

 

Baekhyun attacks Chanyeol’s lips so suddenly and eagerly that he shouts in surprise. “Baekhyun-ah!” he hisses, “My parents are literally next door!”

 

“Ugh, that sucks,” Baekhyun complains half-heartedly. He lies down on his side and faces Chanyeol. “Remember that road trip we planned? We might as well do it right now if we want some privacy.”

 

“You want sex so badly that you’re willing to let me drive for a whole week.”

 

“Maybe not a week, then.”

  
 

Their banter goes on aimlessly, punctuated by playful jabs, or kisses, or both. Baekhyun realises that he is fine with what he has at the moment, and that neither the perspective of college nor the vast unknown that stretches before him is going to scare him off because he knows that whatever happens, Chanyeol will always be by his side.

 

And at the end of the day, that is all that ever matters.

  
  
  
 

THE END


End file.
